Handgun mini-vault

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a system and method for firearm storage; and more particularly, a safe and secure handgun mini-vault apparatus for a loaded handgun that allows an authorized user rapid, unobstructed and effortless access to the handgun. The handgun mini-vault system of the present invention not only provides for relative ease of assembly and aesthetically appealing appearance, it also permits access to the handgun without the need to manually manipulate a locking device. The locking system of the present invention utilizes RFID technology to allow authorized users to open the mini-vault by simply waiving an RFID chip in proximity to the mini-vault interrogator.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

In accordance with 37 C.F.R 1.76, a claim of priority is included in anApplication Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, thepresent application claims priority as a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/333,927, filed Oct. 25, 2016, entitled “HandgunMini-Vault” now U.S. Pat. No. 10,233,687, issued Mar. 19, 2019, which isa continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,527, filedFeb. 6, 2014, entitled “Handgun Mini-Vault” now U.S. Pat. No. 9,530,266,issued Dec. 27, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/761,610, filed Feb. 6, 2013, entitled, “HandgunMini-Vault”, the contents of the above referenced applications areherein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to firearm storage, and moreparticularly to a safe and secure handgun mini-vault apparatus for aloaded handgun that allows an authorized user rapid, unobstructed andeffortless access to the handgun.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Firearm safety is a paramount concern among firearm owners and gunenthusiasts. As a result of this concern, there is a plethora of gunsafes on the market, many equipped with high technology locking devices,which range from numerical codes to biometric recognition. Firearmowners largely fall into one of two categories with a substantialoverlap between the two categories. In the first category, firearmowners are interested in the firearm from a functional/aestheticperspective. In the second category, the firearm owners are interestedin the firearm as a protection tool for protecting their domiciles.Firearm safes on the market today are designed to lock away firearmsfrom theft and accidental discharge. For example, a safe can easilyweigh several hundred pounds, making the safe immovable for a thief. Atthe same time, safes with electronic code entry panels or mechanicalsafe combinations make the contents of the safe essentially unreachablefor a common thief.

However, a firearm owner who obtained the firearm for the purpose ofprotecting his/her domicile would need to reach the firearm quickly andsafely. For example, in the middle of a night, upon hearing an intruderapproaching a bedroom, the owner may not have time to get out of bed,approach the safe which may be in another room, key in the combinationin the dark, open the safe, retrieve the firearm and point it in thedirection of the intruder. However, placing the firearm in a drawer nearthe bed would not provide the safety that would be required by the owneragainst accidental or unauthorized use of the firearm, e.g., by a minoror thief.

Therefore, what is needed is a mechanism that allows a firearm ownerquick and safe access to his/her firearm, while the firearm is otherwiselocked away from unauthorized use. The access mechanism should beoperable by a keyed device, such as an RFID which may be placed into aring, bracelet, key fob, credit card or the like, and may even beimplanted into the body of the person who is allowed access to thefirearm. Thus, the present invention provides a handgun mini-vault whichovercomes the disadvantages of prior art handgun safe systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention provides a system and method for firearmstorage; and more particularly, a safe and secure handgun mini-vaultapparatus for a loaded handgun that allows an authorized user rapid,unobstructed and effortless access to the handgun. The handgunmini-vault system of the present invention not only provides forrelative ease of assembly and aesthetically appealing appearance, italso permits access to the handgun without the need to manuallymanipulate a locking device. The locking system of the present inventionutilizes RFID technology to allow authorized users to open themini-vault by simply waiving an RFID chip in proximity to the mini-vaultinterrogator. The RFID chip is preferably embedded into a wrist band orthe like; however, the RFID chip may be embedded into a key fob, ring,credit card or the like without departing from the scope of theinvention. The present invention also provides an automatically openingdoor system, which places the handgun in a position suitable forgrasping in an operable position, thereby eliminating the need formanipulating the handgun to ready it for operation. The mini-vaultpreferably utilizes an internal electrical source such as batteries toprovide portability to the device; however, standard electrical currentmay be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention. Thedevice also includes a power switch that activates the interrogator forthe RFID for a predetermined amount of time to conserve battery power.

Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide ahandgun mini-vault.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a handgunmini-vault that may be secured to a surface in close proximity to thebed of a user.

It is yet a further objective of the present invention to provide ahandgun mini-vault that utilizes RFID technology to provide access tothe interior of the mini-vault.

It is another objective of the instant invention to provide a handgunmini-vault that places the handgun in a ready position for operationupon opening of the vault door.

Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration andexample, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitutea part of this specification, and include exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention, illustrated with a cable tie for securing the mini-vault toan object;

FIG. 2 is a top right perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1illustrated with the mini-vault door in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, illustrated withthe button panel of the identification assembly removed;

FIG. 4 is a right side view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,illustrated with the door assembly in an open position;

FIG. 7 is a front view of one embodiment of the mini-vault, illustratedwith the door assembly in an open position;

FIG. 8 is a partially exploded view of the mini-vault illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the mini-vault illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a left side view of the mini-vault illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a section view taken along lines 11-11 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a section view taken along lines 12-12 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a section view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a section view taken along lines 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a top view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a left side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a section view taken along lines 17-17 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a section view taken along lines 18-18 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a section view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is a section view taken along lines 20-20 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a top view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is a left side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a section view taken along lines 23-23 of FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a section view taken along lines 24-24 of FIG. 22;

FIG. 25 is a section view taken along lines 25-25 of FIG. 22;

FIG. 26 is a section view taken along lines 26-26 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a left side view of one embodiment of the mini-vault,illustrated with the door assembly in an open position;

FIG. 28 is a section view taken along lines 28-28 of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a section view taken along lines 29-29 of FIG. 27;

FIG. 30 is a section view taken along lines 30-30 of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a top view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 32 is a left side view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is a section view taken along lines 33-33 of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a section view taken along lines 34-34 of FIG. 31;

FIG. 35 is a top right perspective view of one embodiment of the doorassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 36 is a top view of the door assembly illustrated in FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is a rear view of the door assembly illustrated in FIG. 35;

FIG. 38 is a bottom view of the door assembly illustrated in FIG. 35;

FIG. 39 is a right side view of the door assembly illustrated in FIG.35;

FIG. 40 is a section view taken along lines 40-40 of FIG. 38;

FIG. 41 is a partially exploded view of one embodiment of the doorassembly;

FIG. 42 is a bottom view of one embodiment of the latch assembly;

FIG. 43 is an end view of the latch assembly illustrated in FIG. 42;

FIG. 44 is a left side view of the latch assembly illustrated in FIG.42;

FIG. 45 is a section view taken along lines 45-45 of FIG. 42;

FIG. 46 is an exploded view of the latch assembly illustrated in FIG.42;

FIG. 47 is a bottom view of the latch assembly, illustrated in aretracted position;

FIG. 48 is a section view taken along lines 48-48 of FIG. 47;

FIG. 49 is a bottom view of the latch assembly, illustrated in aninitial interlock position;

FIG. 50 is a section view taken along lines 50-50 of FIG. 49;

FIG. 51 is a bottom view of the latch assembly, illustrated in anextended or locked position;

FIG. 52 is a section view taken along lines 52-52 of FIG. 51;

FIG. 53 is a top right perspective view of a shroud for the latchassembly;

FIG. 54 is a top view of the shroud illustrated in FIG. 53;

FIG. 55 is a section view taken along lines 55-55 of FIG. 54;

FIG. 56 is a top right perspective view of the release assembly;

FIG. 57 is a partially exploded view of the release assembly;

FIG. 58 is a top right perspective view of the release assembly;

FIG. 59 is an exploded view of the release assembly illustrated in FIG.58;

FIG. 60 illustrates an RFID chip embedded into a wrist band foroperation of the present invention;

FIG. 61 illustrates an RFID chip embedded into a key fob; and

FIG. 62 illustrates an RFID chip embedded into accredit card.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in variousforms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be describeda presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention andis not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodimentsillustrated.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-61, the present invention provides asystem and method for firearm storage, and more particularly a safe andsecure handgun mini-vault apparatus for a loaded handgun. The mini-vault100 includes a box assembly 2, a door assembly 4, an identificationassembly 6, a weapon cartridge 8, and an optional securing cable 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1-8, the box assembly is illustrated. The boxassembly 2 generally houses the identification assembly 6, the weaponcartridge 8 and the release assembly 18 (FIGS. 56-59), and functions asthe predominantly visible portion of the mini-vault 100. The boxassembly 2 is typically a five paneled parallelepiped structure havingone open side 12 for access to the contents of the box assembly. The boxassembly is preferably constructed of a durable material such as steel,however, other materials that are suitable for use in safe constructionmay be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention. Thebox assembly preferably includes an offset lip 14, which extends aroundthe perimeter of the open side 12. The offset lip 14 is adapted tocooperate with the door assembly 4, which includes a perimeter lip 16.The offset lip 14 and the perimeter lip 16 overlap each other to preventwires, pry bars and the like from achieving unwanted access to theinside of the box assembly. Positioned adjacent the open side 12 is thecontrol panel 20 for the identification assembly 6. The control panel 20is removable (FIG. 2) to reveal a battery compartment 22, electroniccircuit cover 24 and bypass lock 26. The battery compartment is providedto give the mini-vault portability to operate in places where grid poweris not available through power inlet jack 28. Should there be no poweravailable through the power inlet jack 28 or from the batterycompartment 22, the bypass lock 26 may be operated with a bypass key asillustrated in FIG. 33. The circuit boards (not shown), including theinterrogator for the RFID identification, are positioned below thecircuit cover 24. The circuit cover 24 is formed from the same materialas the box assembly 2 to prevent unauthorized access to the circuitry.The control panel 20 preferably includes a plurality of buttons 30arranged in a similar layout to a human hand. Individuals who do nothave access to the RFID tags that have been keyed to the device may usethe buttons to open the mini-vault 100. The access code for the buttonsis programmable after purchase to eliminate duplication of codes inmini-vaults from the factory.

Referring to FIGS. 35-41, the door assembly 4 is illustrated. The doorassembly 4 is constructed to enclose the open side 12 of the boxassembly 2 and prevent unwanted access to the interior thereof. The doorassembly generally includes a hinge 52, a weapon cartridge pivot pin 38,gas spring tabs 39 and the latch assembly 54. The door member 56 ispreferably constructed from a durable material such as steel, however,other materials that are suitable for use in safe construction may beutilized without departing from the scope of the invention. The doormember 56 includes perimeter lips 16 about three sides thereof with thehinge 52 extending across the rear edge. The perimeter lips 16 overlapthe offset lip 14 of the box assembly when the door assembly 4 is in aclosed position. The hinge 52 is preferably a piano type hinge, whichextends substantially entirely across the rear portion of the mini-vault100 and includes a plurality of apertures for fasteners or weldments.Depending tabs 40 are provided for attachment of the gas springs 50(FIG. 8). In this manner, the gas springs 50 are allowed to open thedoor assembly while pivoting around gas spring pins 41. The latchassembly 54 is constructed and arranged to interlock with the boxassembly 2 in a latched condition while allowing the door assembly 4 tospring open when desired. The latch assembly 54 is secured to the innersurface of the door member 56, and includes a cover member 58 to coverand protect the latch assembly 54.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8, the mini-vault 100 is illustrated in an openposition. In the preferred embodiment, the door assembly willautomatically open to about forty-five degrees with respect to the boxassembly upon the proximate passing of the proper RFID. The weaponcartridge 8 is pivotally secured to the bottom surface of the doorassembly to pivot about half as much as the door assembly. In thismanner, the weapon cartridge 8, and thus the grip of the weapon (notshown), is presented about midway between the door assembly and the boxassembly for easy grasping. In the preferred embodiment, the weaponcartridge 8 is a box like structure having an open center chamber 32.The center chamber 32 includes foam fillers 34 that are constructed andarranged to generally conform to the shape of a weapon, e.g. handgun,and allow the weapon to be easily inserted and removed from thecartridge. The outer surface of the cartridge 8 includes a pair ofclamps 36 for securing the cartridge to the door assembly. The clamps 36cooperate with a pivot pin 38 secured to the bottom surface of the doorassembly via depending tabs 40 in a pivoting manner. The clamps 36 areconstructed and arranged to allow removal of the cartridge from themini-vault 100. Torsion springs 42 are provided to push against thebottom surface of the door assembly 4 to center the weapon cartridge 8when the door assembly is in an open position. Bumpers 44 are providedon the upper 46 and lower 48 surfaces of the cartridge 8 to prevent thecartridge from unwanted movement during transport of the mini-vault 100.Gas springs 50 are provided to open the door assembly. The gas springsare constructed and arranged to support the weight of the door assembly,the cartridge and a weapon that may be inside of the cartridge. Itshould be noted that while gas springs are illustrated, various types ofsprings could be substituted without departing from the scope of theinvention.

Referring to FIGS. 42-52, the latch assembly is illustrated. The latchassembly includes frame member 62, cam member 64, and locking pins 66.The frame member 62 provides a mounting structure for the components ofthe latch assembly that is easily secured to the inner surface 60 of thedoor member 56. The cam member 64 is rotatably secured to the framemember 62 via shoulder fastener 68 and nut 70 while bushing 72 assuresfree rotation of the cam member 64. The lock pins 66 are secured to thecam slots 74 via rolling cam followers 76. The rolling cam followers 76extend through the cam slots 74 and through the ends of the lock pins66. The lock pins 66 are secured to the frame member 62 via lock pinbushings 80 for linear movement in response to rotation of the cammember. A spring member 78 biases the cam member so that the lock pinsdefault to an extended or locked position. The cam member 64 alsoincludes a reset slot 84, which cooperates with reset pin 86 to hold thelock pins 66 in a retracted position until the lock pins pass the catchplates 88 (FIG. 2) on the box assembly 2. This construction allows thelid to close freely without the need to force the lock pins to theretracted position during closing of the door assembly 4. The reset slot84 includes a first width 90 and a second width 92. The first width 90is sufficiently wide to allow the reset pin 86 to extend through the cammember 64 while the second width will not allow the reset pin 86 topass. The reset pin 86 is spring biased to an extended position whereby,when the cam rotates sufficiently to retract the lock pins, the resetpin extends through the cam member, thereby preventing the cam fromrotating to a position that extends the lock pins. (FIGS. 47-50)Depression of the reset pin 86 allows the cam to rotate and the lockpins to extend. (FIGS. 42, 51-52) Cam lever 82 provides rotation to thecam member 64 in response to operation of the release assembly (FIG.56-59) or bypass lock 26 to cause the lock pins to retract.

Referring to FIGS. 53-55, the latch assembly cover 58 is illustrated.The latch assembly cover generally covers and provides protection to thelatch assembly 54. The latch assembly cover 58 includes the reset button94 which is biased to extend away from the cam member 64. The resetbutton 94 is positioned to cooperate with the reset pin 86, which allowsmanual and automatic operation of the reset pin with the latch assemblycover in position. In this manner, when the door assembly is closed, thereset button 94 strikes the cover for the release assembly 18 once thedoor assembly has closed sufficiently for the lock pins 66 to pass thecatch plates 88 (FIG. 2) of the box assembly 2. As described earlier,this construction allows the door assembly to be closed withoutresistance from the lock pins 66 striking the catch plates. Thisconstruction also allows the lock pins 66 to extend much farther pastthe edges of the catch plates than would be possible if the catch platesdeflected the lock pins, providing an enclosure that is resistant toopening upon drops or abuse of the mini-vault.

Referring to FIGS. 56-59, the release assembly 18 is illustrated. Therelease assembly 18 is generally constructed and arranged to operate thelatch assembly 54 to cause the door assembly 4 to open in response tocommunication with an RFID chip 96. The release assembly includes anelectric motor 98, a support frame 102, an offset arm 104, a guide plate106, a release lever 108, and a release assembly cover 110. The motor isin electrical communication with the circuit boards 112, 114 and controlpanel 20 and secured to the support frame 102, which is in turn securedwithin the box assembly 2. The motor 98 in the preferred embodimentincludes an internal gear reduction, which reduces output shaft speedand increases torque of the motor. The output shaft 116 of the motorextends through the support frame 102 and is secured to the offset arm104 to cause rotation thereof through a predetermined path. The offsetarm 104 includes a follower pin 118, which extends through the guideplate 106, which includes guide slot 120 to limit the travel of theoffset arm and thus the motor. The release lever 108 is pivotallysecured over the pivot pin for rotation thereabout. The release leverincludes a second guide slot 124 positioned to cooperate with thefollower pin 118 to cause rotation of the release lever 108. The releaselever 108 also includes a release pin 126. The release pin is positionedto cooperate with the cam lever 82 of the latch assembly 54 to retractthe lock pins 66 so they may pass the catch plates 88 under pressurefrom the gas springs 50, which allows the door assembly 4 to spring openand present the weapon for the user. Upon the follower pin 118 reachingthe distal end of the guide slot 120, the motor 98 reverses, causing thefollower pin to be positioned at the opposite end of the guide slot 120.The cover 110 provides protection for the release assembly 18 and thecircuit boards 112, 114 and is generally constructed from a durablematerial such as, but not limited to steel. The cover 110 includes slot128, which allows cam lever 82 to enter into the release assembly foroperation thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 9-14, operation of the latch assembly in a lockedposition is illustrated with the cover members 58, 110 removed forclarity. As shown in FIG. 11, the release mechanism is shown in a homeposition whereby the release lever 108 and the follower pin 118 arepositioned at the first end of the guide slot 120. In this position, thelock pins 66 are positioned well under the catch plates 88 holding thedoor assembly 4 in a closed and locked position. As shown in FIG. 12,the cam member 64 is rotated, creating a solid link from the distal endof one locking pin to the distal end of the other. This constructionprevents the mini-vault from opening as a result of shock being impartedto the device. As illustrated in FIGS. 13-14, the reset pin 86 ispositioned below the cam member and below the second width 92 of thereset slot which will allow the cam member 64 to be rotated by therelease assembly 18.

Referring to FIGS. 15-19 and 27-30, operation of the latch assembly inan open position with the lid closed and ready to spring open isillustrated with the cover members 58, 110 removed for clarity. As shownin FIG. 11, the release mechanism is shown in a second position wherebythe release lever 108 and the follower pin 118 are positioned near thesecond end of the guide slot 120, causing the release pin 126 to movethe cam lever 82, rotating the cam member 64. In this position, the lockpins 66 are positioned retracted from under the catch plates 88,releasing the door assembly 4 from a closed and locked position. Asshown in FIG. 18, the cam member 64 is rotated, causing the reset pin 86to extend into the first width 90 of the cam slot 74. As illustrated inFIGS. 27-30, the reset pin 86 is extended through the cam member 64,preventing the cam member from rotating back to the locked position andallowing the gas springs 50 to pop the door assembly 4 open. This alsoallows the door assembly to be easily closed by holding the lock pins 66in a substantially open position until the door assembly 4 and thus thelock pins 66 are beyond the catch plates 88.

Referring to FIGS. 21-25, operation of the latching assembly uponclosing the door assembly is illustrated. In this position, the resetpin 86 is positioned within the first width of the reset slot 84 holdingthe lock pins 66 in an open position. This is maintained until the resetbutton 94 contacts the release arm cover 110 causing the reset button topush the rest pin through the reset slot 84 allowing the cam member 64to rotate as a result of the bias provided by the spring 78. The resetbutton 94 includes an extension member 130 that is sized to pass throughthe second width 92 of the reset slot during rotation of the cam member64. This construction allows the reset button 94 to push the reset pin86 away from the cam member during rotation thereof for unencumberedmovement of the cam member 64.

Referring to FIGS. 31-35, operation of the mini-vault 100 if closed andduring a power failure is illustrated. In this condition the bypass lock26 is utilized to operate the latch assembly 54 without operation of therelease assembly 18. The control panel is released from the mini-vault100 exposing the release lock 26 which is preferably a barrel typetumbler. Rotation of the key causes a lock bar 132 to sweep through apredetermined path which moves the cam lever 82 to the release positionallowing the gas springs 50 to open the door assembly. Thereafterrestoration of power will allow the mini-vault 100 to function normally.

Referring to FIGS. 60-62, various devices which could have RadioFrequency Identification Chip (RFID) 134 embedded into them foroperation of the current device are illustrated. The preferredembodiment utilizes a wrist band 136 which includes a RFID chip 134 thatis keyed to the mini-vault for operation thereof. Like the wrist band136, the credit card 138 and the key fob 140 also include RFID chips 134that are suitable for operation of the mini-vault. In this manner the“key” to the mini-vault can be disguised as many different objects thatcan be easily hidden in plain sight from thieves and burglars. Thisconstruction also provides the victim of a burglary the opportunity toreach his handgun in the presence of the criminal without raisingsuspicion of the criminal.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications andvariations may be made without departing from the true scope and spiritof the invention. Some of these potential variations from the preferredembodiment have been identified above. The invention, therefore, is notto be limited to the embodiments described and illustrated, but is to bedetermined from the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of storing a firearm for quick accesscomprising: providing a box assembly having a plurality of side wallsand an opening to a hollow inner cavity sized to contain a firearm, saidside walls secured together along the edges thereof to form a secureassembly; securing a door assembly, sized and shaped to cover saidopening, to said box assembly for movement between an open position anda closed position, said open position allowing access to said hollowinner cavity and said closed position preventing access to said hollowinner cavity; retaining said door assembly in said closed position bysecuring at least one lock pin and an opposing catch member to said boxassembly and said door assembly so that said at least one lock pinoverlaps a portion of said catch member to retain said door assembly insaid closed position, whereby one of said at least one lock pin or saidcatch member are secured to each of said door assembly and said boxassembly; releasing said lock pin from engagement with said catch memberin response to a radio frequency identification device being placed inproximity to an interrogator positioned within said box assembly, saidinterrogator constructed and arranged for wireless communication withsaid radio frequency identification device, said radio frequencyidentification device being electrically connected to an electric motorto cause movement to said at least one lock pin so that said lock pin isreleased from said overlapping engagement with said at least one catchmember in response to communication with said radio frequencyidentification device, releasing said door assembly to said openposition.
 2. The method of storing a firearm of claim 1 wherein said boxis parallelepiped in shape having five side walls and one open side. 3.The method of storing a firearm of claim 1 including at least one springmember positioned to bias said door assembly to said open position,whereby said at least one spring is in a compressed position while saiddoor assembly is in said closed position, said spring causing said doorassembly to open automatically upon movement of said lock pin fromengagement with said catch member.
 4. The method of storing a firearm ofclaim 4 wherein said release assembly includes at least one battery forproviding electrical power to said electric motor.
 5. The method ofstoring a firearm of claim 1 including at least one radio frequencyidentification device for wireless communication with said interrogator.6. The method of storing a firearm of claim 5 wherein said radiofrequency identification device is hidden within another object so thatit is not readily identifiable.
 7. The method of storing a firearm ofclaim 6 wherein said radio frequency identification device is hiddenwithin a wristband.
 8. The method of storing a firearm of claim 4wherein said at least one battery provides electrical power to saidinterrogator.
 9. The method of storing a firearm of claim 1 wherein saidbox assembly includes a power inlet jack, said power inlet jackincluding a power cord constructed and arranged for electricalcommunication with a power outlet, said power inlet jack in electricalcommunication with said interrogator for operation thereof.
 10. Themethod of storing a firearm of claim 1 wherein said wirelesscommunication is via electromagnetic fields.
 11. A method of securing afirearm comprising: providing a box assembly having a plurality ofclosed sides and one open side forming a cavity sized to contain atleast one firearm therein; securing a door assembly sized and shaped tocover said open side to said box assembly, said door assembly connectedto said box assembly for movement between an open position and a closedposition, said open position allowing access to said cavity and saidclosed position preventing access to said cavity; attaching a latchassembly within said box assembly for retaining said door assembly insaid closed position, said latch assembly having at least one movablemember that overlaps a portion of said box assembly and said doorassembly to maintain said closed position; latching said latch assemblyby physically moving said door assembly to said closed position;releasing said door assembly to said open position by positioning aradio frequency identification device in proximity to an interrogatorpositioned within said box assembly, said interrogator constructed andarranged for wireless communication with said radio frequencyidentification device, said interrogator in electrical communicationwith an electric motor to cause said electric motor to move saidmoveable member so that said moveable member no longer overlaps saidportion of said box assembly in response to communication with saidradio frequency identification device, releasing said door assembly tosaid open position.
 12. The firearm storage device of claim 11 includingat least one spring member positioned to bias said door assembly to saidopen position.